Author's note: The story was written for a challenge with the topic 'No Room (at the Inn)'.
Thanks to Avoca for proofreading.
No Room
Two weary travelers reined their horses in in front of the Deep Water Grand Hotel. 'Grand' wasn't the best way to describe it today, but overflowing.
When they entered the hall, it was crowded with angry people.
Kid Curry scanned the crowd while Heyes grabbed an errand boy who tried to pass them by.
"Hold it, son. What happened here?"
"Train hold-up by the Devil's Hole Gang," he told him hurriedly. "The eastbound jumped the rails and the engine got damaged. They brought the travelers back here with a couple of wagons. The westbound train was still at the depot and now all the passengers are stuck here until the rails are cleared again. Sorry, I have to find places to sleep for our servants in town. Every chamber is rented up to the broom closet."
Heyes let the boy go who slipped swiftly out on the street.
Two ex-outlaws exchanged a long glance.
"Wheat?" Kid Curry asked.
"The man was always good for trouble. I don't know where he learned to be a pain in the neck, but he does pretty well."
"He should've known better than to mess around with the rails!"
"You know him. He never was one for finesse." Heyes shrugged and then edged his way to the desk clerk.
"Is there any chance of getting a room for a night? Maybe a small one?"
"Tonight? No. We're booked out."
"You've got any suggestion where we..."
"The livery stable, maybe. I heard there are still a few hay bales free..."
"A few...?"
The clerk nodded.
"No widow renting some..."
"Usually yes, but I'm afraid you're too late."
"Thanks anyway."
Heyes returned to his partner, whose disgust was obvious.
"Don't look at me like that. This town is big enough for several hotels. We'll find another one."
But as hard as they tried, there was no way to get as much as a cot in a loft. They stood in the entrance of the last hotel when they finally had to accept, they had to adjust their plans.
"What now? I'm not gonna sleep another night out in the cold," Kid Curry declared. "The ground is soaked and the scent of snow is in the air. I want a bath and I want a bed! And I want a damned hot meal!"
Hannibal Heyes knew the look on his partners face all too well. He pursed his lips and panned the crowd, too.
He nodded towards a young woman. "Maybe there's your chance for getting what you're looking for. If you make eyes at her she might be willing to share her room."
"Heyes, she's a lady! And she's way too young. I'm not that kinda guy!"
"You could shoot one of these guys over there, obviously salesmen. One more or less, who cares? He won't need a room, when he's lying in the doctor's sickbay - but I guess that'd be a mite over the top, huh? There'd be a queue waiting for his room anyway. And I doubt that you can shoot them all without arousing suspicion."
His suggestion earned him the look.
"C'mon, where's your sense of humor? When the chips are down, I'm sure I can find us a nice warm place at the local jail. Guess it's more peaceable there anyway. And it's cheap, too!"
When he earned no response, Heyes shot his partner a short glance. "Free meals?"
The look of the blond told him that he wasn't far from getting shot himself.
Heyes heaved a sigh and pushed his hat back on his head.
"Why, Kid, we can still try the cathouse! They don't rent a room, they'll rent a girl and a room. Buy one, get one free!" Heyes showed one of his infectious smiles.
"That's what I call a plan!" Kid Curry answered and a wide grin lit up his face.
In a good cheer they went for Miz Liz's "Red Ribbon Parlor". It lasted as long as they needed to learn about the queue at the brothel. In subdued mood, they decided to have supper first, rest their weary bones for a while and maybe come up with a new plan. They found themselves a place in an also crowed restaurant, ate the one dish that still was served before they went on with their search for a place to spend the night.
The stranded trains must have been stuffed to the roof with passengers and that it was payday at the surroundings ranches made it even worse. The two men asked their way through the town just to find out, that the saloons were sold out, too. Kid Curry's mood was dropping with every minute and by this time Heyes was far from good spirits, too.
"What do you mean, sold out?" Heyes asked the bartender of their last resort in disbelief. "You must be kidding! The whole town can't be sold out! I never heard of that before."
"We live in hard times, boys. One must get, what one can get. The girls got a night off and the rooms went for ten times their price. One can't make a fortune if one can't adjust to the circumstances."
"I really appreciate you letting me in on your business principles, but even more I'd appreciate a warm place where I can lay my head!"
"Not here, boys, sorry." The man turned around obviously in best spirits and picked up a bottle of whiskey. "What about a drink, get warmed up from the inside?"
The partners exchanged a glance, that of the blond clear on the acid side of the scale. He grabbed bottle and glasses and left the payment to his partner.
They settled down at the only free table and downed the first two drinks fast one after another. When the taste finally set in, they grimaced. Heyes picked up the bottle and tried to decipher the label. "Can't read what it says, but it sure tastes like turpentine."
"Maybe it's wood alcohol and you're already becoming blind. Would sure fit our streak of bad luck," the Kid muttered and refilled his glass. "What now, Heyes?"
"I don't know, Kid, but I'm working on it. First, we should slow down. As long as we're in here, we are at least warm and they won't throw us out as long as we're still upright and drinking."
Heyes panned the room and his wandering eyes stopped when they spotted a poker game going on at the far side. He watched it a while and a distinct sparkle lit up in his eyes.
"Kid, how much money do we have between us?"
"You can't be serious!"
"I am! You want it nice and cozy tonight or not?"
Kid Curry explored his pockets and produced a couple of dollar bills. Heyes snatched it from his hand, added it to his own and started counting. He pursed his lips and counted it again. "A mite short but it'll have to do..." he said, stood up and wavered his way towards the gamblers.
A low curse slipped out of Kid Curry's lips as he watched his partner leave with everything they owned in this world. He picked up the bottle and glass and took a stand at the bar, where he was in earshot and gained a clear line of fire – just in case.
Heyes introduced himself with his best winning smile and settled down at the poker table. Soon he was involved in a lively game.
There were eight of them, Tom Bartley, a local rancher, Hank and Chuck, two salesmen from Cincinnati, Frank and Barney, brothers-in-law and associates, running the undertaker's and carpenter's shop in town, Sam Hogan, a trapper passing by and Pete Saunders, a young man from Boston on his way to visit his family in Sacramento for the holidays.
As the evening wore on, money changed its place from one side of the table to another, only small sums wandering in Heyes's direction. Very slowly he raised his stake. He got himself caught bluffing several times. Kid Curry wasn't sure what his partner was doing, but he started worrying.
A pretty big pot was building up in the current game. The voices became more engaged and one after another the players folded until only Heyes and Hogan were left.
Heyes watched him, caressed his cards with his fingertips and raised one last time.
The fair-haired man opposite him took off his hat, scratched his scalp and shot a scrutinizing glance at him.
"You're bluffing! And now you're trying to buy yourself a way out of it. But that won't work out with me, pal. I call you!"
He counted the remaining money in front of him, counted again and frowned, obviously cursing under his breath.
"Whatever it is, it seems it will work out for me. Unless you find something else to throw in, that is," Heyes told him gently and reached out for the money.
"Wait a minute! What about my watch?" Hogan asked him eagerly.
"I don't need your watch, friend."
"What about my horse?"
"I don't need a horse either."
"You won't own it anyway, when I win!"
"So, tell me what would me make accept it?"
Hogan pursed his lips and the thoughts going on in his mind were almost visible on his face.
"There's one thing I can offer you. I've got a room for tonight in the Seven Miles Hotel. A single room, not shared and I'll throw it in against all you have in front of you. What'd you say?"
A thoughtful look showed up on Heyes's face. "You seem to be pretty sure," he said hesitantly. "But that's an offer that I can't refuse. Agreed!"
He laid down his cards and beamed at his opponent when he showed him his straight flush.
"You must be in league with the devil!" the man shouted, throwing his own cards face down on the table.
Kid Curry pushed himself off the bar, his right hand causally swinging free beside his hip, his watchful blue eyes fixed on the scene in front of him.
"C'mon, it was a fair game. Nobody pushed you." Heyes picked some of the bills out of the heap and passed them over to the loser. "Have a drink and calm down again, will you? Tomorrow I'll give you a chance to get even. Let's say about sunset, huh? Maybe then lady luck will smile on you again."
Hogan's eyes were fixed on Heyes's friendly smiling face. After what seemed like hours, he visibly relaxed and took the money which was offered to him.
"I'll be here and I'll be damned if you catch me cold again! Tomorrow I'll win my money back!"
"Sure, you will. So long."
Hogan tipped his hat and went towards the bar, comforting himself with the brew that was sold as whiskey here.
Kid Curry relaxed and strode over to his partner, who looked up and beamed at him.
"Nice piece of work, wasn't it?" Heyes asked while he pocketed the money.
"Piece of work? It looked like pure luck to me," his partner growled. "I've never seen you playing that badly since you started shaving."
"Kid, I fooled you, too? That's wonderful!" Heyes grinned and rose. "It took me the whole evening to figure out which of them was the best mark and teach him when he had to be dead sure of knowing when I was bluffing."
The blond lifted his brow and tilted his head. "A bluff in a bluff? Only a brain as screwed as yours could think of that. Besides, you did a good job, except there's not much left of the night to enjoy your win."
His always observant eyes panned the remaining patrons while the friends wavered through the room. "And there's this appointment for a rematch tomorrow."
"And he'll be very surprised to find out that his money isn't half as easy to win back as he thought. I never like to miss a chance to earn us easy money. C'mon Kid, cheer up! I got us the best I could. Tomorrow most of those passengers move on and leave us a nice peaceable town for our own. And now we're flush!" He clapped his partner's shoulder. "Let's get a good night's sleep and tomorrow everything will look better again."
Together they left the saloon and walked out into the crisp cold night.
"Well, maybe you're right," Kid Curry gave in and turned up the collar of his sheepskin jacket. "There's only one question left: who gets the bed?"
"We can toss a coin..." Heyes offered smirking and laid his arm around his partner's shoulder while they started towards the hotel.
"Oh, no, Heyes, I know your coins! They are even more crooked as you. I bet some of them have heads on three sides!" he objected, grinning.
"But Kid, would I ever betray you...?" he asked him, looking as innocent as a child. It earned him a hearty laugh from his partner.
"Heyes, that's a rhetorical question it I ever heard one..."
They walked along the dark street, bantering and looking forward to a pleasant night with a roof over their heads.
In fact, it had never been a question of how they would spend the night. They'd do like they often did: laying side by side and sharing warmth and comfort, just like they shared anything else. But the game was just too pleasant not to play it ...